Opinion / What does it really mean when celebrities like Beyoncé and Kim Kardashian promote veganism?
The latest celebrities to jump on the vegan bandwagon are Beyoncé and Kim Kardashian.
While the two icons have given rave reviews about how the plant-based diet has helped them with weight loss, should the vegan community be happy to see such stars endorse the lifestyle if it is only for shallow gains?
How Jaden Smith spent his 21st birthday with LA’s homeless
In a candid YouTube video titled “Beyoncé – 22 Days Nutrition”, the diva provides viewers with an insight into the rigorous fitness regimen she followed while preparing for her widely watched Coachella performance last year.
Beyoncé, who struggled with toxaemia while pregnant with twins, chose to share the challenges she faced while preparing for the high-intensity concert post-childbirth.
She adopted the 22 Days Nutrition programme by Marco Borges – a The New York Times bestselling author and her friend and trainer – and reveals how the diet helped her get back in shape after childbirth. (Earlier this year, she and husband Jay-Z also wrote a forward to Borges’ book, 22-Day Revolution.)
5 celebrities who did veganism wrong
A recent video clip on Instagram Stories shows Kim Kardashian in conversation with close friend Anastasia Soare, who wonders how the celebrity has such a tiny waist. Soare jokes about whether it has something to do with having a few ribs removed; as the banter continues, Kardashian explains that being a vegan helped immensely.
More celebrities are embracing a plant-based diet but their endorsements – which are usually short-lived – don't necessarily mean a victory for veganism. For the true vegan, a lifestyle free of animal products is the only way of life. People embrace the diet for various reasons, including the environmental benefits of rejecting meat and taking a stand against animal cruelty, but adopting veganism for the sole purpose of losing weight seems hypocritical.
Veganism is for life
Why this Korean YouTuber’s vegan videos are all the rage
Celebrity endorsements notwithstanding, veganism doesn't come with an expiry date. A plant-based diet as a tool for weight loss is nothing more than a temporary lifestyle change – a crash diet, if you will.
Crash diets – sometimes promoted in the form of plant-based regimens – offer short-term gains but do more harm than good in the long run since they are unsustainable. Long-term gains come from permanently adopting a well-balanced plant-based diet for a healthier lifestyle, and for all the right reasons.
So the next time you’re about to whoop with joy because your favourite celebrity has announced that they are embracing veganism, stop and think. Why are they doing it and to what end? As role models with massive fan bases, should celebrities be endorsing a plant-based diet if it is only to shed a few pounds?
Beyoncé made a telling statement in her 2019 Netflix music documentary Homecoming about getting stage-ready for Coachella: “I learned a very valuable lesson. I will never, ever push myself that far again,” the pop star said.
Want more stories like this? Sign up here. Follow STYLE on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter
As role models with massive fan bases, should stars like Queen Bey and Kim Kardashian be endorsing a plant-based diet if it is only to shed a few pounds?